I wouldn’t want to be kidnapped at the best of times. I really wouldn’t want to be kidnapped by ISIS. There is something about those guys that makes me think they follow through on their threats.

When two Islamic State militants took a pair of Japanese nationals hostage, demanding a $200 million ransom from the country, we knew it wouldn’t end well. A Friday deadline was given for the Japanese government to respond, and when they failed to pay the ransom it seemed only a matter of time until something gruesome was forthcoming.

A video emerged Saturday showing what appears to be one of the hostages, Kenjo Goto, holding a photo of the decapitated body of the other hostage. This from the New York Times:

Brian Hale, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said in an email Saturday night that “the U.S. intelligence community has no reason to doubt the authenticity of the video.

If we’re honest we don’t support airing the full video. The more internet-savvy of you out there will find it I’m sure. What we have below is the audio recording of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto Jogo pleading for his life and airing the kidnappers’ latest demands. Be warned, it makes for rather disturbing listening.

You get the feeling that they may well take more attention to heading the demands this time around. The world is watching, and another headless body will not go down well.

[sources:nytimes&leaksource]